Hardly anyone says “Hah-oon-dee” anymore.

I kind of miss it. We Texas hicks provided great low comedy as we struggled mightily to wrap our thick, dusty tongues around Hyundai’s jumbled syllables (“goll dang, a wah next to a eww?”).

It fit 15 years ago or so — back when Hyundai was building clattering Third World econoboxes that typically looked like small storage containers on skinny tires.

But impatient Hyundai learned fast — really fast. Last year alone, it racked up a 20 percent increase in sales while collecting accolades and awards for sharp, high-quality new cars like the Sonata, Elantra and Veloster.

When the Korean automaker shows up at big car shows these days, stressed-out guys in suits rush to grab the door. “May I get you some chilled water or a glass of wine, Mr. Hyundai?”

And now that Hyundai has Toyota and Honda sweating some, it is starting to toy a little with Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

A ’tweener

I’m not sure where to place the category-straddling 2012 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0 sedan I had recently. It’s kind of a ‘tweener with mustard — a spicy big sedan with a fair amount of meat for the money.

The rear-wheel-drive Genesis shares a platform with the larger Equus and more athletic Genesis Coupe. Hyundai sent me the big-dog R-Spec model of the sedan, equipped with a fine five-liter V-8 juiced to an impressive 429 horsepower.

Nominally a high-performance, high-end sports sedan, the R-Spec gets bigger brakes, stiffer suspension parts and retweaked steering.

Right up front, I have to tell you that the $46,535 Genesis is neither a hotter, edgier alternative to a Lexus GS nor a more affordable choice to a Mercedes E550 or BMW 535.

It has some of both vehicles in it. But Hyundai has succeeded, I think, partly because it knows how to borrow elements from various automakers and blend them into something reasonably fresh.

The three-bar grille on my metallic light-gray Genesis, for example, could easily have worn a Mercedes-Benz star. But it was flanked by big, highly contemporary headlamps like you see on other Hyundais.

A larger front fascia, a badge on the trunk and really nice 10-spoke wheels provide the only clues that this might be a special Genesis — which otherwise looked somewhere between slab-sided and subtly muscular.

The 19-inch wheels were shod with performance 24 5/45 tires, but that’s fairly modest rubber for a car with 429 horsepower and 4,200 pounds of weight.

Inside, the Genesis made a stronger statement. Fitted with huge doors, the big sedan offered limo-like leg- and headroom in back — so much, in fact, that I could probably sit in the footwells.

A molded plastic black dash felt pliable and rich to the touch. Its black-faced gauges were trimmed with white rings, and a graceful center stack curved stylishly at its base.

Meanwhile, the quality plastic on the dash wrapped around to the car’s door tops, embellished with padded centers and armrests.

I especially liked the piano-black console with its contrasting silver shift-gate.

Although the black leather seats were not as supportive as some sport seats, they featured fine-looking leather with perforated centers and white stitching.

Smooth, quiet and strong

I expected some snort and growl from the R-Spec’s 5-liter V-8, but like most of the rest of the Genesis, it was smooth, quiet and strong.

Tuned for maximum horsepower, the five-liter engine had decent low-end torque, but most of the real snap came in the 3,000- to 5,000-rpm range. (The engine is rated at 376 pound-feet of torque at a lofty 5,000 rpm.)

It is bolted to a Hyundai-designed and -built eight-speed automatic that generally offered tight, impressive shifts.

If you behave responsibly — of course I will, Officer Friendly — you should be able to squeeze 16 miles per gallon out of the R-Spec in the city and 25 on the highway.

Though not quite as fierce as some of Germany’s best bruiser V-8s, the five-liter always felt lusty — even past 6,000 rpm — and will push the hefty Genesis to 60 in a swift 5.1 seconds, according to Car and Driver.

Like too many Hyundais and sibling Kias, however, the power steering in the Genesis didn’t feel as well-tuned as its responsive engine.

Too thick in the center, with uneven boost, the Genesis unit vacillated between extremes — either it was too light or too heavy, with not enough road feel.

Likewise, the big sedan turned into corners eagerly with its independent multilink suspension.

Once it actually got into a curve, though, the Genesis felt a little awkward. While far more sporting than the average Lexus, the Genesis suffered from a bit of body lean and squirm.

Fortunately, the R-Spec rides pretty decently and has great brakes — everyday attributes that make it easy to live with.

Sure, it could be better. But the R-Spec is pretty darn good as Hyundai’s first shot at building a high-end performance sedan, and it’s likely to improve.

2012 Hyundai Genesis

Base price: $34,200

As tested: $46,535

Type: Rear-wheel-drive, five-passenger, four-door sedan

Engine: Five-liter double overhead cam V-8 with direct fuel injection; rated at 429 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque

Mileage: 16 mpg city, 25 mpg highway